Foreign media websites apparently blocked in China

Nobel organisers tried to dampen growing anger in Beijing on the eve of a controversial peace prize ceremony for jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo, insisting the honour was not targeted against China."This is not a prize against China. This is a prize honouring people in China," Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland insisted at a press conference in Oslo, traditionally held by the laureate on the day before the annual peace prize ceremony.His comments came as the White House said it believed Liu should be able to receive the award in person.

This year's peace prize to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo could go down in history as "one of the most important" ever awarded, the Nobel Committee's influential secretary said.The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize also risks sticking out for being the only one in the award's more than 100-year history where the laureate or a representative is unable to come to receive the honour in Oslo, because of Beijing's uncompromising stance, he said.

The wife of jailed Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo said Wednesday she was prevented from meeting with Norwegian diplomats as authorities kept her under tight house arrest.Liu Xia has been largely confined to her home since Friday when the Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded this year's prize to her dissident husband for advocating political reform and respect for human rights in China."Yesterday, Norwegian diplomats came to offer support for me and were barred outside the main gates," she said on her Twitter account.

China on Thursday launched a final salvo ahead of a ceremony honouring Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, calling US lawmakers "arrogant" for supporting him and saying most of the world opposes the move.The fresh round of criticism, which also targeted the Oslo-based Nobel committee, comes on the eve of a ceremony in the Norwegian capital honouring Liu, who was jailed in December 2009 for 11 years on subversion charges.

The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony began in Oslo Friday without laureate Liu Xiaobo, a jailed Chinese dissident, who was represented by an empty chair at the event that has enraged Beijing.As a small pro-China demonstration went ahead in Oslo, Chinese dissidents, ambassadors from a number of countries, Norway's king and queen and other dignitaries defied Chinese anger to attend the ceremony in a flower-decked Oslo city hall.

Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, an award which sparked a furious backlash from Beijing and renewed Western calls for his immediate release.The writer and university professor was honoured "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China," Norwegian Nobel Committee president Thorbjorn Jagland said in his announcement."The Norwegian Nobel Committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace," he added.

Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, an award which sparked a furious backlash from Beijing and renewed Western calls for his immediate release.The writer and university professor was honoured "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China," Norwegian Nobel Committee president Thorbjoern Jagland said in his announcement."The Norwegian Nobel Committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace," he added.

Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for championing reform and human rights in a move that is certain to anger Beijing.The writer and university professor was honoured "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China," Norwegian Nobel Committee president Thorbjoern Jagland said in his announcement. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace," he added.